Question of the Day

Did illegal voters swing any congressional races?

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Are they on drugs? We could soon know if mind-altering substances are to blame for the Legislature’s often wacky ways.

Sen. Eddie Lucio attached an amendment to a sweeping ethics bill requiring that all elected officials - from Gov. Greg Abbott to school board members - take drug tests and post the results online.

No one gets booted from office for failing, but doing so could make re-election tough. Lucio, a Democrat from Brownsville, has for years championed such testing and even once took a blood test to show he was serious.

“There were a couple of comments made and one of them was, ‘This is silly,’” Lucio said. “It’s because, ‘Well, I’m a senator, I should be beyond this.’ Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s exactly why we should be taking this.”

His amendment passed after assurances it wouldn’t include alcohol testing. Texas lawmakers have been known to throw back a few behind the scenes - especially amid late-night floor debates.

Drug testing likely won’t survive as the ethics bill heads to the House, but Lucio says it’s a win nonetheless: “If we ask our children whether or not we should take a drug test, how do you think they would vote?”

Here’s a look at other issues that had strong weeks - and didn’t - in Texas politics:

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WHAT’S UP

Jade Helm 15 Jitters

Fears that a U.S. military exercise known as “Jade Helm 15” was actually an excuse to send troops to take over Texas, seize residents’ guns and impose martial law were largely confined to conservative fringe websites when Abbott weighed in. He announced he was directing the Texas State Guard to monitor the exercise, which begins in July in Texas and six other states. What’s causing so much hand-wringing? A map produced as part of Jade Helm 15 labeling Texas, Utah and part of California as “hostile.”

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WHAT’S DOWN

Coerced Abortion Bill

Rep. Molly White says her family forced her into having an abortion as a teenager - and she filed a bill holding doctors or counselors criminally liable if they coerce women into terminating pregnancies. But the Belton Republican’s proposal flopped in House committee, where advocates on both sides of the abortion issue decried its confusing language. Panel Chairman Republican Rep. Byron Cook even called for a complete rewrite.

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WHAT’S INBETWEEN

Religious Objection Bill

Proposals that conservatives say protect religious freedom but opponents argue sanction discrimination against gay people have stalled in the Legislature. But Texas could yet be headed for a taste of the hubbub that sparked national uproar in Indiana and Arkansas. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick directed Sen. Craig Estes to file a bill allowing clergy members to refuse officiating marriages that violate their beliefs - even though the filing deadline expired weeks ago. That proposal was scheduled for an immediate committee hearing until a Democratic stall tactic delayed it until Monday. Still, Estes’ bill should nonetheless clear committee and the full Senate at warp speed, and will likely mean the religious objection debate stays blistering through the end of the session June 1.